Zendaya says she's the right fit for Aaliyah role

Alicia Rancilio Associated Press

Posted:
06/17/2014 02:19:52 PM MDT

Click photo to enlarge

FILE - This Jan. 26, 2014 file photo shows singer Zendaya at the 56th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Zendaya will play Aaliyah in a film about the late singer's life. Aaliyah was killed in 2001 at 22-years-old when a small plane she was flying in crashed shortly after takeoff in the Bahamas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — For anyone concerned about who would play Aaliyah in a film about her life, the girl who earned the role — 17-year-old Zendaya — says it mattered to her, too.

"I really want it to be perfect for her and show young people what she was able to do and what she accomplished," the Disney Channel star said in an interview Tuesday, a day after Lifetime announced she would play the role of the R&B singer.

Zendaya says she's the right choice for the part because "if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself."

Aaliyah was killed in 2001 at age 22 when her plane crashed after takeoff from a Bahamian runway. She dominated on the R&B and pop charts, earning platinum-plus albums and racking hits with songs like "Try Again," ''Back & Forth" and "Are You That Somebody?"

Zendaya, who was the runner-up on "Dancing With the Stars" last year, says she's aware the role comes with a lot of scrutiny.

"I can't please everybody ... what I can do is work really hard and you know, just continue to show her legacy," she said.

Zendaya was almost five at the time Aaliyah died. She says she remembers watching the singer's music videos when her older sister would babysit her.

Zendaya is recording some of Aaliyah's songs for the film. Zendaya, who made her debut on the Disney Channel series "Shake It Up" in 2010, released her first album last year, which featured the platinum hit "Replay." She says her success as a young star helps her relate to Aaliyah, who released her debut album at age 15.

Advertisement

"I feel like she grew up so young and she grew up in the industry ... and she just had to deal with so much," she said. "I connect with that."

Zendaya also stars in the Disney Channel movie "Zapped," which premieres June 27. She will also co-produce and act in the network's upcoming show "K.C. Undercover."

The Aaliyah film is based on the book "Aaliyah: More Than A Woman" by music journalist Christopher Farley. Shooting is scheduled for this summer.

Article Comments

We reserve the right to remove any comment that violates our ground rules, is spammy, NSFW, defamatory, rude, reckless to the community, etc.

We expect everyone to be respectful of other commenters. It's fine to have differences of opinion, but there's no need to act like a jerk.

Use your own words (don't copy and paste from elsewhere), be honest and don't pretend to be someone (or something) you're not.

Our commenting section is self-policing, so if you see a comment that violates our ground rules, flag it (mouse over to the far right of the commenter's name until you see the flag symbol and click that), then we'll review it.